<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: homesteader

I am brand new here and looking for advice on the best working quad for me. It will not be driven in mud, nor will I ever want to drive it over 20 miles an hour. The key uses will be (1) hauling a low trailer on to a rocky, uneven creek bed, loading it with 800 to 1,000 pounds of stone or firewood, and hauling it out of the creek bed to my yard; (2) plowing my 500 foot driveway; (3) hauling a dump trailer full of wood chips; and (4) hauling a deer out of the woods. I expect to need a lot of traction and low end power/torque. I have read various forums and have narrowed my choices down to the Honda Rubicon, Honda Foreman, Kawasaki Brute Force, and Yamaha Grizzly. I will purchase a used 2005, 2006, or 2007 machine with low miles, as plenty are available in the northern Kentucky, central Indiana, and southwestern Ohio area for $4500 to $6000. It appears that many users have their personal preferences, but my concern is with low end power and reliability. Any guidance you would provide would be greatly appreciated.</end quote></div>


I would definetly choose the Honda rubicon. Absolutly the best transmission for what you are doing. And a solid axle machine would work better than an IRS machine for what you are doing.

 

From what you are describing it sounds like the best ATV for your purposes would be the Traxter which was discountinued in 2005. I wouldn't have even mentioned it but you said you were looking at used machines. It is a 500cc with a low center of gravity, solid rear axle and automatically locks in the 4wd as needed. When I bought mine in 2005 I made a spread sheet listing my requirements then checked out quite a few different ATV's to see how they would fit. After driving the different machines there was no question the Traxter was the best for my use.

After I bought the Traxter my brother gave me a hard time saying I would be sorry. After a year though he finally admited my Traxter would out do his Honda's in any test he wanted to try. Now I'm not saying the Honda's are bad, just the Traxter is better for my purposes.

I also have a tractor which sits most of the time. For plowing snow the ATV will run circles around the tractor and do a cleaner job. The tractor is used only to stack the snow. I have an ag. system on my ATV that I use to smooth dirt, rake rocks and to plow. The tractor will also do these jobs but not with as much control as the ATV.

With all this said though, the ATV must be setup properly or it won't do a very good job. Example, snow plowing in deep or wet snow with a standard ATV plow is frustrating unless you have it setup properly. The blades are light enough that they tend to float over some of the snow which will create problems later in the winter so you should add down pressure onto the blade. If you don't get a lot of snow then a standard blade will work fine.

 

More than one person has advised me against IRS. Does that eliminate the yamaha? They look to all have IRS based on their website.

 

You can buy a suspension lockout for IRS machines really cheap. With it on there's no squat and you can haul even more than the SRA will without a lockout, and it still has the 2-3 times the ground clearance. Take it off and you have the best ride possible. It's the best of both worlds.

 

Honda Foreman 500
Five speed forward (GEARS) Get it.
First gear is real low for plowing or towing.
Air cooled So-what they are air/oil cooled motor that has been around for a long time.

Don't even listen to those goofy belt heads! Belts are a joke with non-stop adjusting, they slip, they glaze they also give your quad crappy Mpg.

Best utility quad ever made is a Honda Foreman.

Honda Rubicon 500 is the only true hydrollic fluid transmission ever put on a quad. The same type trans a bull dozer has. Both have straight axles for better pulling
Both can be purchased used for a steal if you look around.
END OF STORY

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: garman351

Honda Foreman 500

Five speed forward (GEARS) Get it.

First gear is real low for plowing or towing.

Air cooled So-what they are air/oil cooled motor that has been around for a long time.



Don't even listen to those goofy belt heads! Belts are a joke with non-stop adjusting, they slip, they glaze they also give your quad crappy Mpg.



Best utility quad ever made is a Honda Foreman.



Honda Rubicon 500 is the only true hydrollic fluid transmission ever put on a quad. The same type trans a bull dozer has. Both have straight axles for better pulling

Both can be purchased used for a steal if you look around.

END OF STORY</end quote></div>

How many Polaris ATVs have you owned? None of mine have <u>ever</u> needed a belt adjustment and I've been riding them for 11 years. Mine don't slip or glaze and I average about 25 mpg on my 500. I doubt if a Honda 680 with nearly identical horsepower gets BETTER mileage. I bet it's closer to 15 mpg than 25. <u>Everything</u> you said about belt drives is wrong. That's the facts from someone who actually rides one too, and not hearsay from someone who doesn't even own one.

 

I recommend a sportsman 500. I know it's not in your 4 choices, but let me tell you I had a 2004 Sportsman 400 and it was a very strong working ATV. No doubt about it was more for working than play. Sportsmans have something the Japanesse atvs don't, and that's extra weight. Weight is good when you're plowing and pulling. I plowed my long inclined driveway with my 400 and that thing could push a lot of snow. I pulled a 4000lb van out of the snow with it easily no lie, my KQ 700 can't tow worth nothing. The only limiting factor was the power, that's why I'd recommend the bigger 500, or even a used 700 twin would be good. Oh and they have great engine braking so it'll help slow you down with a big load.

Oh yeah, about the belt drives. I agree with jumbofrank. They are VERY strong. Everyone is going to belt drives in the ute industry except Honda. I never had a problem with the belt drive, I didn't need touch it after 2300 hard miles of plowing, pulling and trail riding. i'd say get a sportsman over the utv's as well, atv's are more capable than a gator.

 

If you don't overload the tongue of your trailer you don't have to worry about the IRS squatting. You mis-load your trailer and put 600 or 700 pounds on the tongue of course it's gonna squat. Putting those sorts of loads on the tongue of a SRA won't be particularly good for it either.

I haul a lot of trailers here on my farm. Heavy ones over very rough terrain through the timber and across pastures and through creeks. IRS is simply superior. It doesn't beat you to death when you're riding over rough terrain and it doesn't have any problem with squat because the trailer is loaded and balanced correctly. I hate riding on rough terrain with my single axle ATV that I'm riding now. It rides like a lumber wagon compared to the IRS machines I've used and it is really telling on your back and muscles after a day working.

As for belts vs. gears. As long as you use low range when pulling loads you should have no trouble with them. You may have to replace once every several years but the one I replaced in my 95 Polaris a year or so ago had been in there since it was new. Over ten years of age and abuse working every day on a farm pulling heavy loads and pushing snow in the winter was more than adequate for a belt. Plus if you do something stupid and burn up or break the belt in a CVT you only have the cost of a new belt. 40 or 50 bucks. If you trash out a geared tranny, which I did in my Honda Fourtrax, you've got a big repair bill. I know some of the guys in my area that have torn up the hydraulic tranny in their new hondas have been horrified by the price to repair or replace one.

 

Why is it that "the Hondas will have a lot less horsepower than anything else the same size. A Honda 500 has the power of a 400."

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: homesteader

Why is it that "the Hondas will have a lot less horsepower than anything else the same size. A Honda 500 has the power of a 400."</end quote></div>

I don't know WHY they're so wimpy, just that they are. If you check any published HP ratings it shows that all other brands put out <u>way more</u> power. Honda doesn't even want to publish it's rack capacity or towing capacity, and horsepower ratings are almost impossible to find. But anything sold in California has to be tested, rated, and approved by CARB. That's the main reason everyone makes 4-strokes instead of 2-strokes. Whenever CARB tests vehicles and they eventually publish their findings, it lists the HP of each vehicle. The 680 Rincon is halfway between my 500 and the new Polaris 550. Since the 680 is only equal to a 525 in power, that gives you an idea how the other Hondas compare too. Whatever size engine you need in another brand you should go up at least one size in a Honda. I'm not saying there's anything else wrong with them, only that they they are VERY underpowered. The CARB ratings are hard to find but they show a Honda 500 is more like a 400, and their 400 more like a 320 in horsepower. So if you get a Honda make sure you buy one with a bigger engine than what you think you need.